The Importance of Fuel Efficiency

The words fuel and efficiency are on the tip of almost everyone’s tongue when talking about modern day motoring. Being fuel efficient is something that the modern motorist has become more concerned about and more and more people are buying new super fuel efficient cars and learning how to drive in the most fuel efficient way. Even the A-list in Hollywood have started to care more about being fuel efficient and as a result a swarm of celebrities have traded in their fancy Audi R8s and Ferraris for the highly efficient Toyota Prius’. But why has the world suddenly started to care about being fuel efficient and why is it so important?



The main reason for the majority of people is simple; in fact it is the main reason for change in so many situations, its money. As the global economy crashes and the amount of natural resourses in the world dwindle the price of petrol increases. Where it once cost £20 to fill the tank on a VW golf it now costs £40, so obviously motorists want to get their money’s worth. Not only can money be saved by purchasing less petrol less regularly if you are fuel efficient, but many governments are now offering reductions in tax if you own a fuel efficient car.



The other reason why fuel efficiency is so important and has become a more pressing issue is because of the environmental damage that exhaust fumes cause. This explains why the rich and famous have switched from fast sports cars to hybrid family cars and why governments across the globe are increasingly concerned with fuel efficiency. The less fuel a car uses the less exhaust fumes are created and therefore a decreased amount of greenhouse gases are created.



Making a car more fuel efficient is no easy job though and millions of pounds are spent each year across the globe in order to find ways to make more fuel efficient cars. The most basic way to make a car more fuel efficient is by reducing weight. A smaller and nimbler Volkswagen Golf is more fuel efficient than a heavier Volkswagen Passat even if they have the same sized engine. Finding new lightweight material to use for car parts is therefore of upmost importance when designing fuel efficient cars.



Fuel efficiency is of high importance in the modern world and it is something that will be focused on more and more into the future. If people are to save money they have no choice but to switch to more fuel efficient methods of driving. More importantly than this though is if people are to reverse the damage which has been done to the environment there is little other choice than to become more fuel efficient.



One of the most exciting developments in moving fuel efficiency in cars forward is the upcoming release of the new Audi A1. This is Audi’s new fuel efficient model coming to the European showrooms in November and it’s a fantastic little car. The A1 comes with four turbocharged, direct-injected engines, and it will be available with a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch S tronic gearbox with optional paddle shifters. Due to standard start-stop and energy recuperation among other fuel-saving tricks, the A1 is estimated to reach between 44 miles-per-U.S.-gallon and 62 mpg on the European Cycle.

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